Printing-machine



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PRINTING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 10, 1897.

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PRINTING MACHINE.

N0.'58'7,934. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 587,934. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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W. E. CRANE. PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 587,934. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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Patented Aug. 10, 1897.

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Tm; Nonms PETER$ 0o. morouma. WASHINGTON, 04 c UNITED STATES PATENT Trice,

\VALTER E. CRANE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,934, dated August 10, 1897.

I Application filed November 21, 1894. Serial No. 529,436. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern-n Be it known that I, WALTER E. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-lVIachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing-machines or printing-presses of the class which are adapted for making successive impressions on successive portions of a web or sheet of paper or other like material in sheet form while the same is passing through the machine, the object of the invention being to furnish a printing-machine of the class specified in which the impressions may be made while the sheet is passing by a continuous movement through the machine and without interrupting the continuous operation of the mechanism; also, to furnish an improved mechanism and devices for carrying out the several operations, whereby the machine will have a high capacity and produce a relatively high quality of work at a relatively low cost.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a printing-machine embodying my present invention, some of the details being shown broken away and removed for more clearly illustrating the construction of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine as seen from the left hand in Fig. 1, the lower portion of the main frame being omitted. Fig. 3'is a sectional side elevation of the machine, the view being taken in line a a, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4: is a similar view, but showing the operative parts of the machine in diderent positions. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the machine as seen from the right hand in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, some of the details of the regulating apparatus and connected parts being also broken away here for more clearly illustrating the construction and arrangement of the other parts of the mechanism. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the ink supplying and distributing apparatus shown in section in the lower'portion of Fig. 3 and also shown in end elevation in the lower portion of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a view similar to the upperportions of Figs. 3 and 4, showing a modification of the take-up apparatus of the feed mechanism for controlling the movement of the continuous web or sheet in its passage through the machine.

Similar characiers designate like parts in all of the figures.

In my improved printing-machinethe Web or sheet to be printed is fed to and away from the machine by a continuous movement, it being passed along by revolving feed-rolls placed at the ends of the machine and operated by gearing or other driving apparatus in a well-known manner. The paper or sheet is fed from a roll rotating continuously at the same rate as the feed-wheels, and on entering the machine this passes between aplaten and a type-form, which are carried adjacent to each other by mechanism for opening and closing the same, which mechanism is, in the improved form thereof herein shown, adapted for imparting corresponding toward and backward traveling movements to the platen and type-form during the opening and closing movements thereof. In the present instance these movements of the type-formand platen are in synchronism and equal in extent, and are produced by means of crankshafts and actuating devices therefor arranged to carry said elements or impression members of the mechanism in circuits or orbits and in opposite directions, so that notwithstanding the traveling movements of the same in the machine said elements have a direct vertical movement toward and from each other for producing the impression upon the sheet and for opening the parts after the impression is made sufficiently to permit the passage of the ink-distributin g rollers for the type-form through the space between the platen and said type-form when these parts are in their open position, shown, for instance, in Fig. -.l-.

In some cases, especially in presses of small size, the type-form and its opposing platen may be carried each by a single crank-shaft in connection with suitable means for controlling the positions of those parts; but in IOO rotary movements. For the purpose of carryin g or feeding the paper through the machine the feed mechanism has therein a takeup apparatus for alternately retarding and accelerating the movement of that portion of the sheet which is between the platen and the type-form, so as to hold the same in a fixed relation to the platen during the making of the impression. For inking the type-form successive sets of inking-rollers are provided, these sets being carried by chains or similar means and by driving apparatus therefor in a circuit which extends around the type-form, the rollers being carried in said circuit over the inking-table below the type-form.

The framework of the machine for carrying the several mechanisms and details may be of any suitable form and construction. In the present instance it consists of two side frames F and F, which may be set upon an ordinary base-plate (not shown) and are shown connected together by the two lower beams B and B and by the upper beams I) and B The upper beams 13 and B carry the platen mechanism, which includes the platen (designated in a general way byP) and the mechanism for supporting and actuating the same. Said beams also carry indirectly, by'suitable connections, some of the parts of the feeding mechanism for controlling the passage of the web or paper through the machine. Both the lower and the upper beams are preferably fixed to the inner sides of the side frames in such a manner as to be slightly adjustable vertically thereon for the purpose of effecting the necessary slight adjustments of the positions of the printing mechanism and the platen mechanism, respectively, relatively to each other for controlling the force of the impression. In practice said transverse beams may be extended through openings in the side frames for the purpose of extending the bearings for the driving-shafts outward through the side frames close to the driving-gears on said shafts hereinafter described.

The type-form, (designated in a general way by T,) which constitutes the frame or bed of the printing mechanism, is shown herein as carried on two crank-shafts or lower driving-shafts 2 and 2, mounted in bearings, such as Sand 3, which are supported on the lower transverse beams 13 and B, respectively. These driving-shafts are shown as provided with the driving-gears at and 4, which mesh with and are driven bya primary driving-gear G, that is carried on a driving-shaft S, suitably supported in the framework and which may be actuated in the well-known manner by a pulley fixed on the opposite end thereof. Said printing-bed T is shown herein as provided with clips, such as 5, whereby it is held in place on the cranks 6 and 7 of said driving-shafts 2 and 2. By loosening the bolts 8 said clips may be removed and the printing-' bed readily taken out of the machine,

as may be required.

The type or printing fornnwhich constitutes one impression member, is adapted to' be placed on the bed T between the end walls 9 and 9 in the usual manner, and is held thereon by means of the usual ,type-form-fastening appliances, which may be of any well-known construction and are not herein particularly described.

The platen P, constituting the other impression member, is shown herein as freely supported for rotary movement by and under the cranks 10 and 11 of the two upper crankshafts 12 and 12, (which shafts correspond to the lower crank-shafts 2 and 2,) supported by bearings 13 and 13 on the upper beams 13 and B These upper driving-shafts are shown as provided with the driving-gears 14 and 14, which mesh with and are driven by the corresponding lower gears 4 and 4, as best shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement of the gearwheels the two upper shafts are driven in one direction and the corresponding lower shafts are driven in the opposite direction, and as the geanwheels are all of the same diameter and have the same number of teeth thereby, have equal and simultaneous advancing and retreating and opening and closing movements of the machine in circular or bits for producingthe proper motions for makin g a perfect impression. The platen is shown as hung beneath and from the shafts 12 and 12 by means of clips, such as 15, surrounding the cranks 10 and 11 thereof, the organization being identical in all respects with the organization of devices for connecting the type form or bed to the lower crank-shafts, the platen being similarly removable from the cranks, as may be required, by loosening the bolts 16.

The ink supplying and distributing apparatus is shown herein as placed below the printing mechanism,and in the preferred form thereof herein described and illustrated consists of an inking-table, (designated in' a general way by 1,) which table is supported between the side frames F and F of the machine and is furnished at one end thereof with an inking-fountain for supplying ink thereto. This fountain or supply apparatusis shownas consisting of the usual roll 17, revolubly supported between the side pieces 18 and 18, and of the scraper or doctor 19, fixed on the frame of said apparatus and adjustable toward and from said roll by means of screws 20 in the well-known manner. A second roll 17 may in some cases be provided, said-roll being also mounted between the side pieces 18 and 18 and resting upon the roll 17 and projecting at the point 17 slightly above the surface of the inking-table through the slot 21 therein.

If desired, the roll 17 may be disposed in the position occupied by the upper roll 17', so that only one roll will be necessary. In this case the position of the scraper 19 would of course be correspondingly altered.

For the purpose of distributing the ink laterally of the apparatus I preferably provide one or more rotary ink tables or disks, three of such tables (designated, respectively, 22, 22, and 22") being herein shown, adjacent to those runs of the endless carriers hereinafter described, which runs are opposite to the runs adjacent to the impression members. These distributing disks or tables are shown herein as supported by vertical shafts 23, working in bearings 24 on the main table I, and are provided with means for intermittently rotating the same. The two-disks or distributors 22 and 22", which are shown placed side by side in the machine at the right hand in Fig. 6, are provided with crownwheels having ratchetteeth 25, whereby the same are intermittently rotated. One of these disks 22" is shown provided with a crank-arm 26, connected by a rod 27 with a corresponding but longer crank-arm 28 on the centrallydisposed disk 22, so as to impart to this central disk an oscillating movement for carry ing the fresh ink first toward one side and then toward the other side of the apparatus for more thoroughly and evenly distributing the supply of ink over the entire area of the inking-table.

For actuating the two disks 22 and 22" a rock-shaft 29 is herein shown as mounted within the side frames F and F of the machine and as provided with rocker-arms 30 and 31, carrying the pawls 32 and 33, for actuating said disks, respectively. Said rockshafts 29 is also shown provided on its outer end (see Figs. 2 and 5). with a crank-arm or lever 34, connected by means of a rod 35 with a stud or crank-pin 36 on one of the shafts, as, for instance, the shaft 2 of the machine, whereby an oscillating movement is imparted to said rock-shaft for properly actuating the ink-distributing disks. Said rock-shaft is shown also as provided with an arm 37, pivotally connected to a pawl 38, whose free end is in position and adapted for engaging the teeth 39 of a ratchet-wheel 39, fixed upon the end of the roll 17 of the ink-supply apparatus. By the rotation of the shaft 2 and the revolution of the stud 36 therearound a reciprocatory movement is imparted to the pawl 38 through the medium of the rock-shaft, and the roll 17 is correspondingly rotated intermittently, as required, for raising the ink from the fountain or supply-box 40 upward to the top of the distributing-table I. A guide 41 is preferably provided for positively maintaining the pawl 38 in operative relation with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, as shown in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of inking the type-form prior to taking an impression one or more inking-rolls or sets of rolls are shown herein as carried in an orbit or circuit over the inkin g apparatus and thence over the type-form when said form is lowered away from the adjacent platen of the machine. In the present instance three sets of rolls (designated in fixed to or formed upon the side frames of the machine. The opposite chain-wheel shaft 46, carrying the chain or sprocket wheels W? and W is similarly supported by the bearings 47, which in practice are adjustable 011 the brackets 48 and 49 of the framework for the purpose of properly regulating the tension of the carriers or sprocket-chains O and O of the inking apparatus. Suitable screwbolts, such as 50, are shown herein as provided for the purpose of effecting the adjustment of said bearings.

The rollers 51, 52, and 53 of each set are shown as carried upon successive links 55 of the chains 0 and O by means of suitable bearings, as 56, formed on or connected to said links of the chains. The shaft 52 of the middle roll 52 is shown as provided with an equalizing-lever 52, whereby any pressure exerted upon said shaft in downward direction will be transmitted to all of the rolls and thereby insure the even distribution upon the typefaces of the printing-form of the ink carried by the rolls. Said middle-roll shaft is shown herein as provided on each end thereof with a roller 57, (see Fig. 1,) which upon the passage of the roll between the platen and the type-form runs under a presser-bar 58, one of which is provided at each side of the machine, whereby the rolls are held down onto the type of the type-form. This presser-bar is of such form or outline on the under side thereof as to hold the rolls downward during the passage of the printing mechanism through the lower portion of its orbital movement or circuit, so as to properly ink the typeform throughout its entire length notwithstanding said type-form has some vertical motion during the passage of therolls over the same.

A guide plate, (designated in a general way by G,) which will usually be formed of thin sheet metal, is shown in Fig. 4 as connected at its forward edge by means of a suitable joint-piece 92 and a pivot 93 with the end bar of the typebed. The other edge of said guide-plate is shown as similarly connected through the supporting-arm 46, which arm may be duplicated for supporting the plate at intervals along its edge, as may be required. Forconveniencesaidsupportingarm or arms may be carried on the chain-wheel shaft 46, or said arms may be otherwise supported at the lower ends thereof in any suitable manner. Said guide-plate being at its outer edge (which is at the right hand in Fig. 4) substantially coincident with the path of the lower side of the ink-rollers and being at its forward edge immediately adjacent to and in substantial coincidence with the top of the type-form, furnishes a guideway or table for directing the movement of the rolls when said rolls approach the type-form, so that the rolls will run onto the type-form properly and without injury while the type-bed is moving in its orbital course. Another object of said guide-plate G'is .to receive the ink-rolls before they reach the type-bed and by engagement with said rolls to start them revolving and bring them to the proper speed for running over the type-form in rolling engagement therewith. The inner edge of the guide-plate follows the orbital movements of the typebed, to which it is connected, while the outer edge thereof has a curvilinear forward-andbackward movement, due to its connection with the supporting links or arms 46, hereinbefore described, and which are loosel mounted upon the shaft 46.

In Fig. 3 the mechanism is shown in the positions occupied by the parts at the moment form when said form is lowered in its orbit and also to reduce as much as practicable the total movement of the ink-rolls at each operation of the machine, I have shown herein the operating mechanism as constructed and organized in such a manner as to carry the inkrolls with a variable movement. This is accom plished in the present instance by means of the eccentric or elliptical gears 59 and 60, the former of which is placed on the chainwheel shaft 42 and the latter on a separate shaft or stud 61, preferably mounted upon the side frame F, as shown This stud or shaft 61 is shown herein as driven bya gear-wheel 62, meshing with one of the crank-shaft gears, (in the present case the gear 4 on one of the lower crank-shafts,) whereby said shaft of the sprocket-wheel is revolved with varying velocities, the speed of revolution being most rapid when any one of the ink-rolls or sets of rolls is passing over the type-form and being slowest when said roll or set of rolls is approaching toward or departing from said form.

It will be understood that in the organiza tion of the mechanism shown in the drawings the chain-Wheels, being driven by ellip- -tical gearing, as shown, should be so proportioned as to make one revolution for each com plete operation of the machine.

It will be observed that the several inking means are disposed at relatively greater distances from one another than the lengths of the impression members, as it is obvious that after one of said inking means has passed over and justbeyond the type-form the next succeeding set of inking-rollers should not be between the impression members, but in position to be carried between them at the proper point in the next cycle of operations. Moreover, as the inking-rollers of each set must be carried between the impression members during approximately one-half of the orbital movement of said members in order that said rollers may clear the platen and type-form, it will be seen that the several sets of inking devices must be carried over the type-form at a high rate of speed and toward and away from the form at a low rate of speed, or else the several inking means must be spaced at wide intervals apart, and consequently carried in the same time in a longer circuit with a very rapid movement, this latter method of operation being impractical for printing-ma.- chines operating at a high rate of speed.

For the purpose of controlling the movement or feed-of the paper or sheet V as it passes from a receiving-roll, such as 63, and is carried away by delivery-rolls, such as 64 and 65, I have shown herein a reciprocatory web take-up or regulating mechanism, the preferred form of which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, a modification of said apparatus being shown in Fig. 7.

The web of paper enters the machine from a paper-carrier, preferably in the form of a. rotating roll-carrier of the usual construction, (not shown-,) which, if desired, may be provided with some well-known form of retarding device for preventing-racing of the paper-roll, and the web is fed from the source of supply or paper-roll by the feed-rolls 64 and 65. In the present case these feed-rolls are illustrated constituting feeding means operative for feeding the web into and away from the machine at the same rate of speed.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, two sets of levers66 and 67, similar in form but oppositely disposed, are shown as supported substantially midway of their lengths upon rockshafts 68 and 69, which shafts are carried by brackets or arms 70 and 70 and 71 and 71,

respectively, at opposite ends of the platen. Said levers are shown as carrying at the upper and lower ends thereof the upper guiderolls 73 and 73 and the lower guide-rolls 72 and 72, respectively, between and around which remotely-disposed rolls the web or'sheet V travels. The lower ends of the levers are also shown as connected by rods 74 and 74 at each side of the frame of the machine to a stud 75, suitably located on the corresponding side frame F or F. The outer ends of said connecting-rods are secured to the lower ends of the levers by beam-studs, such as 66 and 67, which are shown as adj ustably mounted in the slots 66 and 67" in said levers, whereby the extent of the oscillating-movements of the levers around the rock-shafts 66 and 67 as pivots may be regulated within the required limits as may be necessary to coincide with the feeding of a given length of paper to the machine at one operation. In this connection it willbe understood that the speed of delivery and therefore the length of the paper or web V which will be passed through the machine will be determined by the speed of the aforesaid receiving and delivering'rolls 63, 6t, and 65, respectively, and that the movements of said rolls will be regulated by properly changing the gearing whereby the feed-rolls are driven. This gearing in the present instance consists of the gear 76, fixed on the shaft (35 of the lower delivery-roll 65, and the intermediate gears 77 and 78, secured to suitable studs or shafts upon the frame of the machine, whereby the shaft-gear 76 is driven from one of the other gear-wheels of the machine, in the present case the gearwheel 1% upon the upper crank-shaft 12. In practice the mechanism will of course be adjusted, as set forth, to feed the paper or web such a distance as will properly correspond to the length of the type-form in use in the machine. Said adjustment is so made that the portion of paper or web lying under the platen will have no movement relatively longitudinally of the platen during the time in which the impression is being made, but to compensate for this said portion of the web will have an accelerated movement while the platen is in the upper portion of its circuit. This variable feed is obtained by means of the connecting-rods described, whereby the upper guide-rolls 73 and 73 are operated longitudinally of the machine correspondingly with the longitudinal movements of the platen, but with substantially twice the velocity thereof. The organization of mechanism constitutes, therefore, a compensating apparatus or take-up having advancing and retreating movements for controlling the movements of the paper relatively to the platen during the time of taking the impression, but without interrupting the continuous movement of the web through the machine, the compensation being accomplished by the rocking movement of the take-up apparatus relatively to the platen. The extent of movement of the upper guide-rolls, which are chiefly concerned in effecting the alternately retarded and accelerated movements of the web, is shown by the dotted ellipsesin Fig. 3. By reference to this figure and to Fig. 4 it will be evident that during the orbital movements of the impression members the levers 66 and 67 will be oscillated about their centers (56 and (37', and that the guide-rolls 73 and 73 will oscillate about said pivotal points in equal arcs, and will therefore travel in equal orbital paths and in the same direction.

It will be understood that all of the parts carried by the levers 66 and (37 are so disposed that corresponding parts move in unison, and hence the oscillation of said levers in one direction will cause equal and opposite variations in the movements of the paper at opposite ends of the speed-modifying mechanismthat is to say, if the guide-rolls 72 and 7 3 take up a certain portion of the paper at their ends of said speedanodifying mechanism the guide-rolls 72 and 73 will give up an equal portion of the web, for, as the feeding means maintains the advancing movement of the web equal at its points of ingress into and egress from the machine, it will be apparent that the speed-modifying mechanism will have equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements at opposite ends of the impression portion of the web.

hen the impression members are in the closed position for producing an impression, the guide-roll 73 will be moving to the left (see Fig. 3) at its maximum rate of movement in that direction and approximately twice as fast as the impression members are moving in the same direction. If it is assumed that the peripheral speed of the feed-rolls 6t and is approximately three times that of the impression members, it will be apparent that the Web given up by the guide-roll 73 will be taken up by the guide-roll 73 at a rate substantially twice the rate of movement of the platen to the left. As the platen is carried to the left during the impression moment at its maximum speed in that direction, it will be seen that-said platen will move toward the guide-roll 72 relatively thereto with a speed approximately equal to the rate at which the impression portion of the web is then travelin g to the left, and at the impression moment, although the traveling sheet and the impres sion members will be rapidly moving to the left,their advancing movements will be equal. As the movement of each member at one end of the speed-modifying mechanism is equal to and synchronous with that of the corresponding members at the other end of said HIP/Ch. anism, each web-taking-u p movement has its complement in an equal and opposite webgiving-up movement, so that the giving-up and taking-up movements are always balanced, and hence there can be no jerking or slacking of any portion of the web, thus assuring a positive control of the movements of the paper.

WVhen the impression members are in their positions of maximum separation, the guiderolls 73 and 7 3 are moving to the righttwice as fastapproximately as the platen is moving, and hence the advancing movement of the impression portion of the web is accelerated by an amount equal to the rate of movement of said rolls, and at the same time the platen is moving to the right relatively to the guideroll 72 at its maxim um speed, so that the relative movement of the impression portion of For the purpose of regulating the force of i the impression, and therefore the quality of the work done by the machine, the upper beams 13 and B are made vertically adj ustable, as before mentioned, said adjustment being obtained by means of impressionscrews, such as 79, through which said beams may be forced downward toward the printing-form, and by means of lifting-screws, such as 80, through which said beams may be correspondingly raised or retracted from said printing-form.

The impression-screws are shown as mounted directly in the side frames of the machine and as impinging against the upper faces of the beams 13 and B while the lifting-screws are shown herein as passed through brackets 81, extending laterally from the side frames of the machine, said lifting screws being screwed into the beams by a loose connection, permitting the rotation of the screws. By means of these regulating devices the entire platen mechanism may be raised or lowered in the machine as may be required for regulating the impression and for adjusting the position of the platen relatively to the typeform.

It will beunderstood that owing to the provision of the adjusting or regulating means just described the gears for connecting and actuating the shafts of the platen and the printing mechanism will be formed with their teeth slightly open, so as to permit the said movements of the beams without interfering with the proper operation of the gear- In practice the platen and the printing mechanism, which are carried by the cranks uponthe crank-shafts 2 and 2' and 12 and 12, will usually be counterbalanced by means of counterbalance-weights, such as 82, placed within the rims of the several crank-shaft gears at and 4t and let and 14, as indicated in Fig. 2, after the well-known manner of counterbalancing the revolving parts of machinery. In like manner the opposite ends of said crank-shafts will usually be counterbalanced by means such as the hollow drums 83, secured thereon and having corresponding counterweights 84 disposed within the drums. This method of counterbalancing will usually be employed upon large machines of this type working at high rates of speed, but where the speed of the machine is relatively slow or the machine itself is of relatively small size and is rigidly supported upon suitable foundations such counterbalancing of the platen and printing mechanism may be dispensed with.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of apparatus for regulating the movements of the sheet or web of paper in passing through the machine. In this view the levers 66 and 67 are shown as pivot-ed at their upper ends to the outer ends of the long arms 70 and 71 of brackets 7 O and 71', mounted upon the shafts 12 and 12 in the manner hereinbefore described. The upper feed-rolls 73 and and 71 of said brackets, while the lower feed-rolls 72 and 72 are similarly mounted upon the lower ends of the levers 66and 67, respectively, connecting-rods 74: and 74: being shown as connecting said levers with the stud 75 upon the side frame F, and adjusting studs and slots 66' and 66 and 67 and (37" being provided for regulating the connections between the rods 7 at and 74 and the levers 66 and 67. It will be evident that the operation of this regulating apparatus or take-up will be substantially the same as that of the apparatus described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

It should be understood, of course, that the arrangement of brackets, connecting-rods, studs, &c., is duplicated for the side of the machine not shown in Fig. 7.

The action of the rolls 72 and 7:2 and 73 and 73 has substantially the same efiect in the apparatus shown in this figure as has been hereinbefore described. ever, the rolls 73 and 73',instead of having their movements multiplied relatively-"to the movements of the platen, move at the same rate asthe platen, and the multiplication of the speed modifying effect is obtained by changing the direction of travel of those portions of the web controlled by the rolls 73 and 73 which lie between the rolls 72 and 73 and between the rolls 72 and 73, and it will be obvious that when the platen and the roll 73 are moving to the left at their maximum rate of speed the roll 73 will give up twice the amount of paper that is given up by the platen, and the web will be brought to rest relatively to the platen and the form at the printing moment. In a manner similar to that before described the platen and the roll 73 when movin g to the right at maximum speed accelerate the movement of the impression portion of the web, the roll 73 accelerating this movement by an amount substantially twice that of the platen, the total acceleration being such as to cause this portion of the web to move relatively to the impression members six times as fast as the impression members, as before described.

In the operation of my improved machine it will be seen that the two impression membersviz., the platen and the type-formare non-rotary, but are carried in continuous curvilinear or orbital paths in synchronism and in parallelism first toward and then away from each other, and that while said members lie in parallel planes with respect to each other (in the preferred form of the construction) they have substantially rotary movements in their orbits or circuits, which tend to carry the sheet or web V through the machine in the same direction in which it is fed by its feed-roll and at a rate equal to the rate at which the paper adjacent to the printing-form is conveyed thereover by the regulating or take-up apparatus, it being understood, of

In this case, howcourse, that the paper is fed to and away from for actuating the same, of feeding means opthe machine at a speed somewhat in excess of the speed of movement of the impression members themselves and that the take-up is so adjusted as to bring the rate of speed of that portion of the web being printed upon down to that of the impression members. At the moment of printing, therefore, when the web is grasped and held firmly between the two impression members said web is advancing at a rate of speed equal to the speed of orbital movement of the impression members and is therefore stationary relatively to said members during the actual printing period. By this means I am enabled to produce from a flat platen and a fiat type-form of any desired size a printing action upon a continuously and rapidlymoving web, this operation being effected by a rotary movement, as is the case with the well-known high-speed rotary printingpresses. The orbital movements of the two impression members and their connected mechanisms, being in rotary direction, (in the preferred embodiment of the invention,) are continuous, and thus insure the smooth and easy working of the heavy moving parts and hence a minimum of wear upon the machine. I thus obtain all the advantages of the continuous movement characteristic of the operation of the rotary printingpress, while securing in addition the greater perfection of work which is equally character istic of the employment of a iiat type-form and a flat platen in printing operations.

IVhile I have shown herein the inkir g-rolls as movable in a circuit over and around the type-form, I do not wish to be understood as limiting the principal features of my invention to this or any other special construction of the inking apparatus, as it is evident that any suitable form of such mechanism which will be operative to pass the inking-rollers across'the face of the type-form after each impression will be adapted for use in connection with the orbitally-movable impression members. The said inking-rollers might be adapted to reciprocate back and forth between the impressions in opposite directions, if desired, and especially in the smaller sizes of machines embodying my present invention; but in the larger machines working at a higher speed it is deemed preferable to carry said rollers in a circuit, as herein described, in order to prevent too great strains or shocks upon the operating parts of the mechanism.

The means for passing the paper through the machine with alternately-varying speeds may also be varied, as I consider within the scope of my invention any means by which the normal feed of said paper may be varied to bring its movement into correspondence with the speed or orbital movement of the cooperating impression members.

Having thus described my invent-ion, I claim 1. In a printing-machine, the combination, with two impression m embers and with means crative for continuously feeding a web of paper into and away from the machine at the same rate of speed; and speed-modifying mechanism controlled in its operation by an impression member and having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends, respectively, of the impression portion of said web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said impression members.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination, with two impression members, of means for operating said members into and out of engagement with each other in opposite circuits, synchronously; feeding means operative for continuously feeding a web of paper into and away from the machine at the same rate of speed; and speed-modifying mechanism connected with, and controlled in its operation by, an impression member and having equal synchronous web takingup and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends, respectively, of the impression portion of said web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said impression members.

3. In a printing-machine, the combination,

with twoimpression members, of means for carrying said members into and out of engagement with each other in opposite circuits,

synchronously; feeding means for continuously feeding a web of paper into and away from the machine at the same rate of speed; and speed-modifying mechanism controlled in its movements by an impression member and adapted for reducing the advancing movement of the impression portion of said web to a minimum at the impression moment and having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends, respectively, of the impression portion of said web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said.

5. In a p-rintingmachine, the combination,

with two impression members and with means for actuating the same, of feeding means operative for continuously feeding a web of pa per into and away from the machine at the same rate of speed; and speed modifying mechanism connected directly with, and controlled in its operation by, an impression memberand having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movement-s controlling opposite ends, respectively, of the impression portion of said web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said impression members.

6. In a-printing-machine, the combination with two impression members, one of which is movable into and out of engagement with theother of variable-speed driving means for continuously and progressively actuating an inking member in a circuit, and carrying the same at one rate of speed over the face of one of said impression members while the impression members are in theirseparated positions, and carrying said inking member at another rate of speed while the impression members are in their closed positions, substantially as specified.

7. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members continuously movable toward, and from, each otherin oppositecircuits; of a plurality of inking-rollers adapted to be carried in a circuit around, and over the face of, one of said impression members; and variable-speed driving means for carrying said rollers at one rate of movement while the impression members are in their closed positions, and for carrying said rollers at a different rate of movement while the impression members are in their separated positions, substantially as specified.

8; In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members continuously movable toward, and from, each other in opposite circuits; of a plurality of inking means disposed atrelatively greater distances .from one another than the lengths of the impression members, and adapted to be carried in a circuit around, and over the face of, one of said impression members; and means for continuously and progressively advancing said inking means through said circuit at alternately-varying speeds, and for carrying said inking means between the impression members at the maximum speed, while the impression members are in their separated positions, substantially as specified.

9. In a printing-machine the combination with two impression members; of means for carrying said members into, and out of, engagement with each other in opposite circuits synchronously; feeding means operative for feeding a web of paper into, and away, from the machine at the same rate of speed; speedmodifying mechanism adapted for reducing the advancing movement of the impression portion of the web to a minimum at the impression moment, and having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends,respectively, of the impression portion of the web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said impression members; and means for carrying an inking member over the face of one of said impression members while the impression members are in their separated positions and during the period of maximum feed of the impression portion of the web, substantially as specified.

10. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members; of means for carrying said members-into, and out of engagementwith each other in opposite circuits synchronoiilsly; feeding means operative for feeding a web of paper into, andaway from, the machine at the same rate of speed; speedmodifying mechanism adapted for reducing the advancing movement'of the impression portion of the web to a minimum at the impression moment, and having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends,respectively, of the impression portion of the web while said impression portion is continuously advancing between said impression members; a plurality of inking-rollers adapted to be carried in a circuit around one of said impression members; and means for continuously advancing said rollers through said circuit at alternately-varying speeds, and for carrying them successively over the face of said impression member at the maximum speed while the impression members are in their separated positions, and having said maximum speed of the inking-rollers synchronous with the maximum speed of the impression portion of the web, substantially as specified.

11. In a printing-machine, the combination with a pair of impression-member mechanisms; of means for continuously and synchronously actuating said impression-member mechanisms orbitally toward, and from,

and in parallelism with, each other; feeding means operative for feeding a web of paper into, and away from, the machine at the same rate of speed, and speed-reducing mechanism controlled by the movement of one of the impression members, and operative for bringing the impression portion of the web to rest relatively to the impression members during the impression period and having equal and synchronous web taking-up and giving-up movements controlling opposite ends,respectively, of the impression portion of the web 'while said impression portion is continuously advancin g between the impression members, and having said movements in opposite directions alternately, substantially as specified.

12. In a printing-machine, the combination with the main frame, of a platen mechanism, means for carrying said platen mechanism in an orbit and in parallelism with a printingform carried by the machine, means for feeding a web of paper over the face of the platen at a predetermined rate of movement; and a regulating or take-up apparatus carried by the platen mechanism'and comprising oppositely-movable levers having pivotal connections with the frame of the machine, actuating means carried by the platen mechanism and pivoted to said levers, and remotely-disposed guide-rolls in operative relation with said levers and the platen mechanism and adapted to carry the traveling web of paper,

whereby said respective guide-rolls at opposite sides of the platen are adapted to have orbital movements toward and from one another to vary the speed of movement of that portion of the web adjacent to the platen in accordance with the movements of the platen mechanism, substantiallyas described.

13. In a printing-machine, the combination with the main frame, of a platen mechanism, means for carrying said platen mechanism in an orbit and in parallelism with a printingform carried by the machine, means for feeding a web of paper over the face of the platen at a predetermined rate of movement; and a regulating take-up apparatus carried by the platen mechanism and comprising oppositelymovable levers having adj ustable pivotal connections with the frame of the machine, actuatin g means carried by the platen mechanism and pivoted to said levers, and remotely-disposed guide-rolls in operative relation with said levers, and the platen mechanism and adapted to carry the traveling web of paper, whereby said respective guide-rolls at opposite sides of the platen are adapted to have orbital movements toward and from one another to vary the speed of movement of that portion of the web adjacent to the platen in accordance with the movements of the platen mechanism, substantially as described.

14. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members continuously movable toward, and from, each other in parallel planes and in opposite circuits; of two sets of sprocket-wheels journaled adjacent to the opposite ends of the impression members, and having the wheels of one set equidistant from those of the other set; sprocket-chains carried by said wheels; a plurality of inking means carried by said sprocket-chains, and disposed at relatively greater distances from one another than the lengths of the impression members, and each of said inking means comprising one or more inking-rollers journaled at opposite ends on said chains, and having said inking means located substantially equidistant from one another, and adapted to travel successively between said impression members and over the face of one of said members; and continuously-operative means for rotating said sprocket-wheels at a high rate of speed during the passage of each of said inking means between the impression members, and for rotating said sprocketwheels at a lower rate of speed, while the impression members are in their closed positions, substantially as described.

15. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members continuously movable toward, and from, each other in parallel planes and in opposite circuits; of two sets of sprocket-wheels journaled at opposite ends of the impression members, and having the wheels of one set equidistant from those of the other set; sprocket-chains carried by said wheels; a plurality of inking means carried by said sprocket-chains, and disposed at relatively greater distances from one another than the lengths of the impression members, and each of said inking means comprising one or more inking-rollers j on rnaled at opposite ends on said chains, and having said inking means located substantiallyequidistantfrom one another, and adapted to travel successively between said impression members, and over the face of one of said members; means in operative relation with the other of said impression members for positively engaging the inking means, and maintaining the same in engagement with said first-mentioned impression member during the travel of the inking means between theimpression members; and continuously-operative means for rotating said sprocket-wheels at a high rate of speed during the passage of each of said inking means between the impression members, and for rotating said sprocket-wheels at a lower rate of speed, while the impression members are in their closed positions, substantially as described.

16. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members movable toward and from each other in parallel planes and in opposite circuits; of inking means adapted to be carried between the said impression members and over the face of one of said members, said inking means comprising a plurality of inking-rollers arranged parallel with one another and mounted for revolution upon a carrier, laterally-extending arms carried by one of said rolls and adapted to bear upon the otherrolls, means in operative relation with the second impression member and adapted to engage the roll which carries said arms and force said roll into engagement with the face of said first-named impression member, substantially as described.

17. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members movable toward and from each other in parallel planes and in opposite circuits; of inking means movable between the impression members and over the face of one of said members, said inking means comprising a plurality of parallel inking-rollers mounted for rotation upon a carrier, rollers carried at opposite ends of one of said inking-rollers, and laterally-extending arms carried by one of said inkingrollers and adapted to bear upon the other inking-rollers; and presser-bars adapted to engage said rollers, during the passage of the inking means over the face of the first-mentioned impression member, to force the inking-rollers into engagement with said firstmentioned impression member, substantially as described.

18. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members movable toward and from each other in parallel planes and in opposite circuits; of inking means movable between the impression members and over the face of one of said members,

said inking means comprising a plurality of parallel inking-rollers mounted for rotation upon acarrier, rollers carried at opposite ends of one of said inking-rollers, and laterally-extending arms carried by one of said inkingrollers and adapted to bear upon the other inking-rollers; and presser-bars having eonvex faces adapted to engage said rollers, during the passage of the inking means over the face of the first-mentioned impression member, to force the inking-rollers into engagement with said first-mentioned impression member, substantially as described.

19. In a printing-machine, the combination with two impression members continuously movable in opposite circuits; of driving-shafts adjacent to the ends of said impression members, and connected for rotation in unison; endless carriers parallel with the sides of said impression members, and connected with said shafts for movement in unison therewith; a plurality of inking means carried by said endless carriers, and disposed at relatively greater distances from one another than the lengths of the impression members, and having said inking means located substantially equidistant from one another, and adapted to travel between said impression members and over the face of one of said members; continuou slyoperative means for rotating one of said driving-shafts at a high rate of speed during the passage of each of said inking means between the impression members, and for rotating said driving shaft at a lower rate of speed, while the impression members are in their closed positions, and while the inking means are successively passing over theinking-table; and an inking-table in operative relation with said inking means, and disposed adjacent to the runs of the carriers located relatively remote from the working faces of the impression members, whereby the ink is evenly distributed on said inking means during the passage of the same over the inking-table, substantially as described.

20. In a prin ting-machine, the combination with a printing mechanism and with inkingrolls and a carrier for said rolls adapted to pass the same over the type-form of the printing mechanism and over the inking apparatus; of an inking apparatus comprising an inking-table and three ink-distributing disks located adjacent to each other, substantially as described, and having means for revolving two of said disks and for imparting a rotary reciprocating movement to the other disk, as set forth.

21. Inaprinting-machine, the combination with a driving-shaft, of an ink-table, a pair of inking-disks adapted for movement in the-6o plane of said ink-table, a crown-wheel carried by one of said inking-disks, a pawl engaging the teeth of said crown-wheel and adapted to imparta rotary movement to said disk, means connected with said shaft for imparting a reciprocatory movement to said pawl, and means controlled by the rotation of said ink ing-disk for imparting an oscillating movement to the second inking-disk, substantially as described.

22. In aprintin g-machine,1the combination with a driving-shaft, of an ink-fountain, an ink-table, a pair of inking-disks adapted for movement in the plane of said ink-table, a crown-wheel carried by one of said inkingdisks, a pawl engaging the teeth of said crownwheel and adapted to impart a rotary movement to said disk, means connected with said shaft for imparting a reciprocating movement to said pawl, means controlled by the rotation of said ink-disk for imparting an oscillating movement to the second ink-disk, a roll mounted for rotation in said ink-fountain, a ratchet-wheel carried by the shaft of said roll, a pawl in position and adapted for actuating said ratchet-wheel and the roll, and means also connected with the driving-shaft for actuating-said pawl, substantially as described.

23. In a printing-machine, the combination with an orbitally-movable printing member, of an endless carrier movable around and over the face of said member, ink-rolls mounted upon said carrier for revoluble movement, and a guide having one end thereof in aline- 5 ment with and suitably secured to the printing member and the other end thereof pivotally secured to a suitable portion of the machine said guide being mounted adjacent to said endless carrier and adapted to be mainxoo tained in said position during the orbital movements of the printing member and to carry the ink-rolls prior to their passage over the face of said printing member and to impart movement of rotation tosaid rolls, sub- 1c 5 st-antially as described.

IVALTER E. CRANE.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, H. J. BINGHAM. 

